The Truthers, the Birthers, …What’s Next?

Barack Obama was not born in the United States. He was born in Kenya and his presidency is illegal. That is the cold, hard truth.

This dark conspiracy is considered to be a verified fact by a significant amount of conservative Americans. In the months since his inauguration, a number have testified that the president is not an American citizen, most notably in an effort to escape the military - they argue that their supposed commander in chief is nothing more than a usurper. The idea was even given some weight by CNN commentator Lou Dobbs…

These conspiracy enthusiasts have been termed the “Birthers,” both in association with and in opposition to the “Truthers,” a group that defends various esoteric theories about September 11, 2001.

However, there is a huge difference.

The majority of the conspiracy buffs that have emerged in the last half-century, including the Truthers, come from the left of the political spectrum. In particular, from the faction of the far left that constantly manufactures conspiracy theories. They are known to be a bit nonsensical but are often taken relatively seriously as a fanatical movement.

The Birthers come from the other extreme of the political spectrum, and are a newer phenomenon. More precisely, they are partisans, militants, big names or even elected officials of the Republican party. The unofficial voice of the extreme fringes of the party, Rush Limbaugh, keeps this debate alive; 28 percent of Republican voters believe that Obama was born abroad and 30 percent have doubts.

The Grand Old Party is already floundering in the quicksand of ideology and political marginality, and this movement is unfortunately deepening the wounds of defeat so recently suffered at the hands of the Democrats.

True, it seems laughable. All this fuss will eventually damage the Republicans themselves far more than Barack Obama. And who still has the least bit of sympathy for conservatives after the exceedingly difficult years of the Bush era? But if American democracy is going to function in a bipartisan manner, then a shipwrecked GOP would be nothing short of a catastrophe.

It isn’t so much about an electoral demise as an intellectual disintegration that became blindingly clear when Sarah Palin erupted onto the scene during the last presidential campaign.

After the election, David Frum, one of the most respected Republican voices who has worked with two prior presidents, stated, “Our party is trying to govern a country that no longer exists.” Karl Rove, then George W. Bush’s principal political strategist, also commented that the future of the party would only be secured if politicians learned to pull from the “market of ideas.” This summer, former secretary of state Colin Powell (who supported Obama in the presidential election) asked the party to stop shrinking to the extreme right and to reopen a real debate.

For the moment, these powerful people seem to have lost their influence. Powell is seen as a “Democrat,” the ultimate insult. Palin has wandered farther off the road. Limbaugh remains, by default, the master of thought for the Republicans. And their latest bright idea is a conspiracy theory.

Abraham Lincoln must be doing double back-flips in his grave.